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Washington Unclaimed Property — Department of Revenue

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Washington Unclaimed Property — Department of Revenue

Agency directory page. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

Agency

Washington’s unclaimed-property program is administered by the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR), which is the statutory custodian for unclaimed property. Effective January 1, 2023, Washington repealed its prior Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (Chapter 63.29 RCW) and replaced it with the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (RUUPA), Chapter 63.30 RCW (2022 c 225). (Sources: DOR Unclaimed Property, https://dor.wa.gov/about/unclaimed-property-ucp ; RCW Chapter 63.30, https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=63.30 ; Chapter 63.29 disposition (repealed 2022 c 225 § 1505, eff. 2023-01-01), https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/dispo.aspx?cite=63.29 ; all retrieved 2026-06-02.)

Official claim portal

The search-and-claim process runs entirely through the DOR portal and is free of charge. Claims support: ucp@dor.wa.gov, (360) 534-1502 (option 1). (Source: https://dor.wa.gov/about/unclaimed-property-ucp , retrieved 2026-06-02.)

How surplus escheats here

See escheat-and-unclaimed-property for the general custodial-taking framework and washington for the state’s tax-sale surplus mechanics.

Under the RUUPA model adopted in Chapter 63.30 RCW, the DOR takes custody, not title, so an owner’s claim is not time-barred. Notably, beginning January 1, 2023 the new act expressly brings government-agency and court-held property (the categories most relevant to foreclosure/tax-sale surplus and court-registry funds) within its reporting requirements. (Source: DOR RUUPA Holder Q&A, https://dor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/RUUPAQA.pdf ; RCW Chapter 63.30, https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=63.30 ; retrieved 2026-06-02.) Whether a specific tax-foreclosure surplus is routed to DOR or retained/distributed at the county is governed by the foreclosure statute on the washington page (Module 3) and is needs_verification for any individual parcel.

Claiming

  1. Search by name at https://ucp.dor.wa.gov/.
  2. File a claim online through the portal.
  3. Provide proof of identity and proof of ownership/address linking the claimant to the reported owner; heirs provide estate documentation, businesses provide entity records.
  4. Support: ucp@dor.wa.gov, (360) 534-1502. (Source: https://dor.wa.gov/about/unclaimed-property-ucp , retrieved 2026-06-02.)

▸ For Former Owners. If the Department of Revenue holds funds in your name, the claim is free and not time-barred — search https://ucp.dor.wa.gov/ (or claimyourcash.org) first. Since January 1, 2023, court- and government-held funds are explicitly covered, so surplus that escheated may be searchable there; confirm the destination on the washington page.

▸ For Investors / Operators. Washington’s 2023 move to RUUPA (Ch. 63.30 RCW) pulls court- and government-held funds into the custodial state fund — see escheat-and-unclaimed-property. That is a downstream remittance fact about former-owner money; it does not affect acquired title or redemption. Confirm the surplus route and any county deadline on the washington page.

Sources

Disclaimer. This page is legal information, not legal advice. It is a general summary that may be incomplete or out of date; Washington’s act changed materially on January 1, 2023. Verify every dormancy period and the surplus destination against the current RCW Chapter 63.30, the live DOR portal, and the washington page, and consult a licensed Washington attorney before acting. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship.

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